Last month, Governor DeSantis signed Florida’s Freedom First Budget to continue his commitment to helping individuals with developmental disabilities. For the first time ever, the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) will have a record high budget totaling over $2 billion for Fiscal Year 2022-23, providing record provider rate increases to give Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) the raises they have earned.
Included in the APD budget are provider rate increases for critically needed DSPs. The rate increases, which are to be effective July 1, are appropriated to increase wages to at least $15 an hour, beginning October 1.